Babul Supriyo's Provocative Gestures Aggravated Situation in University, Says JU Teachers' Association

Kolkata: The Jadavpur University Teachers' Association on Friday accused Union minister Babul Supriyo of making "highly provocative" gestures during an agitation by students, which aggravated the situation but they should not have fallen prey to that provocation.

The JUTA also "condemned" the way Supriyo talked to vice-chancellor Suranjan Das and claimed that his behaviour has insulted the entire university. "Honorable minister Babul Suprioyo was invited to a programme yesterday. Students of the university demonstrated before he reached the venue. The students have the right to do so. At that time the minister's gestures and comments were highly provocative that aggravated the situation," the JUTA said in a statement.

The association said the teachers of the university are deeply hurt by the role of West Bengal Governor and the university Chancellor Jagdeep Dhankhar during the development. The teachers' body also deplored the vandalism by a mob that ransacked the students' union room, hurled stones at the arts faculty building, ransacked shops near the gate and injured many students.

Supriyo was on Thursday shown black flags and heckled by a section of students at Jadavpur University, prompting Dhankhar to rush to the institute. Dhankar also faced demonstrations by the agitators — mostly members of Left-leaning organisations and some activists of the Trinamool Congress Chhatra Parishad, university sources said. The governor and Supriyo, however, managed to leave the campus with police escort.

Workers of the ABVP, who had held a seminar on the campus which sparked off the unrest at the university, later vandalised the room of the Arts Faculty Students Union. The JUTA regretted that a certain organisation's name was painted on the walls of the university's buildings by the "intruders who vandalised in the campus yesterday evening."

"We demand steps be taken against those involved in such attacks," it said. The association described the developments a deep-rooted conspiracy to vitiate the liberal atmosphere of JU, a JUTA spokesman said.